Smart headphones present a new direction for headphones and personal audio devices. Until now, headphones have been limited to playing music, general audio, or providing noise cancelation features.

Smart headphones combine the intelligence of a smartphone with the audio capabilities of headphones, and extend those capabilities beyond any personal audio device. Some of these smart capabilities include language translation, fitness and heart rate tracking, voice-based personal assistants, contextual location-based suggestions, environment-based noise suppression or audio enhancement, and gesture and touch-based control, among others.Despite all the smart features fueling this excitement, a lot still needs fixing in terms of basic functionality, such as reliable Bluetooth connectivity, comfort, and battery life. Most smart headphones only come with 2 to 4 hours of battery life on a single charge, and with a small form factor that needs to fit a lot of hardware, there tend to be issues with the bulk and comfort factor for extended periods of use.

Also, it is not very clear what smart features are likely to be popular among end users, who for the most part, are looking for usability and sound quality as their top feature sets. For now, smart headphones are an interesting step forward for headphones, and their role in terms of the future of computing is yet to be determined.This Tractica report examines the market trends and technology issues surrounding smart headphone devices and presents 7-year forecasts for unit shipments and revenue during the period from 2016 through 2022.Â Smart headphone applications and use cases are analyzed in depth, and the report also includes detailed profiles of 9 key industry players.Â Market forecasts, segmented by world region, include smart headphone shipments and revenue by application market and connectivity technology.

Key Questions Addressed:â€¢ What are smart headphones and are they limited to true wireless devices?â€¢ What are some of the key factors that have led to the emergence of smart headphones?â€¢ What are the most prevalent product features in smart headphones today and what are some of the main drawbacks?â€¢ Who are the key players in the smart headphone market and what attributes will help companies succeed in this market in the long run?â€¢ What applications and use cases are smart headphones used for today, and how is this likely to change in the future?